Cocklepicking gang could net £15,000 in illegal Leasowe beach harvest

Aug 25 2010 by Luke Traynor, Heswall News

FISHERMEN who illegally harvested more than 10 tonnes of cockles from a Wirral seabed pocketed up to £15,000, investigators believe.

Experts are probing a 50-strong gang who were seen three-quarters of a mile out on the sands in Leasowe two weekends ago.

They parked on remote tracks leading to the beach in ten 4x4 vehicles with trailers, and walked to a well-known and popular cocklebed.

It is thought that the fishermen may now target shellfish processing and buying firms in a bid to offload their unlicensed haul to sell on to them for a retail value of around £50,000.

The Northwest Sea Fisheries Committee is looking into five separate incidents of illegal harvesting at Leasowe beach this summer.

They believe a large majority of those involved in the cocklepicking are from the Far East.

The Food Standard Agency (FSA) said eating the cockles could pose a serious risk to human consumption, leading to serious illnesses like E.coli.

Academics said severe food poisoning from some cockles could even prove fatal.

It is suspected the cockles were shipped from a base near Hoylake to eastern England for processing.

The Leasowe seabed is relatively new – it has developed over the past 12 months.

It is as yet unclassified and environmental experts have been taking samples to see if lawful pickers can use it in the future.

It is suspected the group, spotted six days ago, did not have the permits required to pick cockles.

A number of vehicle registrations were noted and will be checked over the coming days.

Merseyside Police wildlife officer Rachel Krueger said: "Poaching can carry a custodial sentence and a hefty fine running into thousands of pounds.”

An FSA spokesman said: “Cockles collected from unclassified shellfish beds can pose a serious risk to human health.”